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Norman Jay

Norman Jay is one of the most influential and celebrated DJs of the last decade. Born in Notting Hill to West Indian parents he has played a vital part in many of the pivotal movements in British dance music over the past 20 years. In the late 70s he found himself in New York at just the right time to witness the rise of disco music and the amalgamation of sounds and styles that occurred at 'Block Parties' in Brooklyn and the Bronx. He teamed up with his brother Joey and built the now legendary Good Times sound system that was to change the face of the Notting Hill Carnival with its groundbreaking blend of funk, soul and disco. In 1985 his huge illegal warehouse parties led to the creation of Kiss, Jay's initially illegal radio station which became a catalyst for attracting the likes of emerging London DJs . It was Jay's partnership with 'Judge' Jules which led to the emergence of the cult late 80s 'rare groove' scene, which brought brand new House sounds from Chicago and New York to a UK audience. The early 90s saw the first legal broadcast from Kiss FM. Jay was the first DJ to be asked to play at the Cannes Film Festival and in recognition of his life-long achievements and involvement in club culture, he was the subject of a full-length documentary, 'Good Times-the Film'. In November 2002 he received an MBE for services to music and DJ-ing.